The European Union on Monday accused the United States of deliberately delaying a trade deal and warned of a new set of countermeasures to tackle US President Donald Trump’s announcement of 30 percent tariffs. The EU claimed the tariffs to be “absolutely unacceptable.”
EU Threatens Countermeasures Over Trump’s ‘Unacceptable’ Tariffs
The new directives levy a 30 percent tariff on most imports from the EU and are set to take effect from August 1.
The ministers met Monday in Brussels following Trump’s surprise tariff announcement over the weekend, AP reported. EU’s trade representative Maroš Šefčovič said that it was “very obvious from the discussions today, the 30 percent is absolutely unacceptable.”
He added that the commission is sharing the proposal with 27 member countries “for the second list of goods accounting for some 72 billion euros ($84 billion) worth of U.S imports. They will now have a chance to discuss it. This does not exhaust our toolbox and every instrument remains on the table.”
Trump told reporters at the Oval office that he is ready to negotiate a deal. "They would like to do a different kind of a deal and we're always open to talk, including to Europe," he said.. "In fact, they're coming over. They'd like to talk."
Lars Løkke Rasmussen, foreign minister of Denmark, which recently assumed the presidency of the EU asserted that the EU member countries will be working closely together to negotiate a trade deal with the US, AP reported.
“The EU remains ready to react and that includes robust and proportionate countermeasures if required and there was a strong feeling in the room of unity,” Rasmussen said after the meeting.
Trump imposed the tariffs on Saturday imposing a 30 percent tariff on most exports from Mexico and the EU. Japan and South Korea have also received similar warnings. The tariffs are set to come into effect from August 1.
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